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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25442776">Sunny Days</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omenthia_Arc/pseuds/Omenthia_Arc'>Omenthia_Arc</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cursed (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angsty thoughts, But only a little, Fluff, Merlin is Nimue's father, No Plot/Plotless, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:56:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,409</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25442776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omenthia_Arc/pseuds/Omenthia_Arc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There is finally peace. The fey are save, Arthur sits on the throne and it is a beautiful day. Merlin visits his daughter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin &amp; Nimue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sunny Days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/tintenschreiber/gifts">tintenschreiber</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>in the hope that it will make her watch Cursed faster.</p><p>I just finished watching the show and I just needed the cuteness that is Merlin as Nimue's father to go somewhere.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Merlin wakes up and is immediately disgruntled because the sun is shining right into his eyes, making it basically impossible to go back to sleep. Even though he has stopped drinking as much, and he is - in fact - not hungover, he does enjoy sleeping in, every now and then. Alright, every now and now. He is just thinking about turning around trying to go back to sleep, or if it is even worth the effort, if he maybe should just close his eyes and wait - he is certain that soon enough he would be back in Morpheus’ sweet arms. </p><p>By then, though, he has become awake enough that he remembers and with a jolt he is sitting upright. By the time the sun has moved on and his bed is touched only by shadows again, he is dressed and half out the door, his staff in hand. When he reaches the courtyard, he hesitates for a moment. In theory his destination is near enough that he could walk, it would take no more than an hour or two. Otherwise he could go and let someone have prepare him a horse. In the end he decides that he is too impatient to wait for someone to find a horse that will not be missed by a person too important and instead he begins walking. </p><p>An hour later he hears the water. The lake lays still, but like every fey is connected to nature, so is he. He can feels the clean air, devoid of the smells in the cities, in his blood. He can hear the water running through his bones. The same way he can taste the power of the place. There had always been potential, in this place.</p><p>The church of the fey is nature. This place had just been waiting for them to come and worship and now, there is someone they can talk to. </p><p>Finally he makes it through the trees, and the clearing opens up before him. Though it might be too big to be called a clearing. The forest abruptly just stops, the line of the trees follows the lake as far as the eye can see; from there it is only a few metres to the water’s edge. The lake itself is huge, the water reaches as far as the eye can see.</p><p>He takes a moment to just enjoy the view. It is really quite extraordinary. He steps forward until the water is almost licking at his feet. He makes a point to stand as straight as he can before he speaks.<br/>
“I call Nimue, Summoner of the Hidden, wolf-blood witch, wielder of the devil tooth, first queen of the fey and lady of this lake. Please take my humble offerings.”</p><p>He only has to wait a handful of seconds before the water a few metres in begins to ripple. Where he stands, directly at the edge, the water looks deceivingly flat but he knows that it drops fast and deep. </p><p>In the middle of the disturbances a head emerges from the water, quickly followed by the rest of a girl, clad in a blue dress that is somehow flowing, like her hair, even though she is drenched to the bones. She is throwing him an annoyed look, but then she smiles. </p><p>“You know, you don’t quite have to use all of those titles every time you come to visit, father.”<br/>
He deliberately ignores the warm feeling the word brings to his chest; it feels dangerous in a way little else does when you have lived so long. Instead he grins and bows before her. “What, I cannot be proud of my kin?”</p><p>“You can be proud, but maybe less vocal.”</p><p>He laughs at that. While they have been talking, she has risen out of the lake completely. For a moment she almost seems to hover, her mirror image floating underneath her, the water lying still again. With one step she has overcome the distance to the shore. For a moment they just stand in front of each other. It has not been long enough since there was peace, not since she has been bound to the lake. Not enough, at least, that it is not still a little stilted between them, at times. In the end, she slings her arms around him in greeting, and he happily hugs her back. </p><p>“So, where are these offerings that you talked about?” she grins at him, and he cannot help the lightness that threatens to lift him right in the air.<br/>
“Ah, of course.” He pats down his robes in search of the wine he wanted to bring. He looks twice, before conceding defeat. “Ah, it seems I have forgot you offering at home.”</p><p>“Look at you. You visit your daughter and just like so long ago, you forgot a supper, you forget offerings.” She is smiling and in an imitation of their very first in-person meeting in the old ruins, he taps his fingers against his lips. Behind them, he is smiling too.<br/>
He looks around and with only a few words and the memory of their first meeting still in mind, there is an apple tree standing between the oaks and alders and Blackthorn and even more oaks. When he turns back to Nimue, she has already spotted the tree that has just appeared on her shores. </p><p>“Is this to become a tradition, then?” She is still smiling. </p><p>He gestures to the tree, that is much more alive than that last one had been, but is not bearing a single fruit. “If you would, milady.”</p><p>She grins, closes her eyes and works her magic. He is sure it is a spectacle when all the apples grow out of a tree that wasn’t even there minutes ago, like it was last time. This time, though, he cannot take his eyes from her. He isn’t quite sure if he will ever tire of the sight; it is hypnotizing, the way the green edged across her skin, forming those leaves that frame her face. A moment later it is gone again and he walks over to the tree and plucks a few apples.</p><p>Nimue has settled on one of the larger rocks that are dotted all through the area. He gives her half the fruits and settles in the soft sand. For a while they just sit there. It’s peaceful. He had not wanted his daughter to have such a fate, but if it was not to be avoided, he could imagine worse places to be bound to. Especially on such an exceptionally beautiful day. Of course, that is barring the experience of spending an eternity alone. He had someone around him at most times. Often people he didn’t even like, but he had still always felt so alone. He cannot imagine what would have become of him, had he not have people to talk to, even when he would not trust them.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>He looks up to find that Nimue is now looking at him instead of at the water. “I’m fine. Just- remembering.”</p><p>She nods as if she can understand and - with ringing clarity - he realises that she might be the only one who could. He was alone for such a long time, even before she was born. He had lost so much and so many people. She is still so very young, but already she has shouldered the care and protection for their people. Like him, she has done her best at taking care of them, shielding them from the forces that mean them harm, and like him she has lost much and many in the process. Like him, he thinks with a heavy heart, she will have to live yet a long time with these losses. </p><p>“Tell me about Lenore.” Perhaps she can sense the woe he has fallen victim to, because she doesn’t ask questions, she just starts talking.</p><p>By the end of the day, he has surrendered to the hope that always creeps up on him on these days. Once again he cannot help but think that while he still seems to be unable to die, and despite all the people he knows and the connections he still has in the shadow world, he does not have to face the years to come alone. And somehow, talking with his daughter about the woman he loves until this day, that is all the hope he needs right then.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked it. Kudos and comments welcome :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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